


Bookends

by nagi_schwarz



Series: Avenging Stars [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-20 12:16:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8248558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/nagi_schwarz
Summary: Prologue and Epilogue to Love in the Time of Pokemon Go.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the comment_fic prompt: "Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bucky Barnes +/ Any, Suffering Bastard."
> 
> Sam buys Bucky a drink. Bucky makes a choice.

"This," Sam said, sliding a drink across the bar to Bucky, "is called a Suffering Bastard."  
  
Bucky raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Drink up." Sam clapped him on the back. "Because you're gonna need it, while Steve's out there surrounded by beautiful women he doesn't know what to do with."  
  
Bucky, who'd reached for the drink, paused. "What do you mean?"  
  
Sam pulled his own bottle of beer closer. "I know you and Steve grew up in a different era, with different rules. I have no idea what those sick freaks at Hydra did to you, but I'm observant, and I work with people, and I notice things."  
  
Bucky ducked his head, blushing. For once he was grateful for his longer hair, longer than he'd ever worn it before.  
  
"So drink up," Sam said, "and either pine and be miserable, or do something about it."  
  
"I already tried once, with Steve," Bucky said softly. "He said no."  
  
Sam raised his eyebrows. "Huh. You really are brave. Sorry, man. That sucks."  
  
Bucky huffed. "Yeah, I guess I am a bit of a suffering bastard." And he sipped some of the drink. "Not bad."  
  
"You aren't bad," Sam agreed.  
  
Bucky sensed the weight behind those words. "Thanks."  
  
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Sam glanced over at Steve, who was attempting to escape from a group of admirers.  
  
"I guess I should stop suffering and stop being a bastard," Bucky said.  
  
"How so?" Sam leaned in, interested.  
  
"I met a guy the other day, while I was out running."  
  
Sam laughed. "A guy who could keep up with you?"  
  
"I was keeping a low profile."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And he was nice. Attractive."  
  
Sam waggled his eyebrows. "And...?"  
  
"And I think I'll spend some time with him."  
  
Sam smiled. "Great! Now, finish up that Suffering Bastard and let's find you a drink with a cheerier name."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the comment_fic prompt: "Marvel Cinematic Universe, Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes, when one wants to propose who do they talk to about getting a blessing (since their families are long gone)?"
> 
> Bucky and Steve have the same problem but different solutions. Post-Pokemon Go, pre-Intergalactic Incidents.

Bucky was going to do it. They'd been courting for six months, but they'd been friends forever, fought a war side-by-side, shared experiences no one else could relate to (cold, sleep, time stolen). So Bucky was going to do it. He was going to ask Steve to marry him. He contacted T'Challa to ask for a vibranium wedding band, he poked around to see how one went about arranging a wedding between two men (yes it was a new century but Bucky had slept through most of the previous one and he was still secretly thrilled every time he got to hold Steve's hand in public), and he did scary domestic things, like look for potential apartments of their own back in Brooklyn.  
  
He planned a nice dinner so he could do the asking. While it was a new century, Bucky wanted to do things right, and right meant getting down on one knee.  
  
Right meant getting someone's blessing.  
  
But whose? Steve's entire family was gone. Everyone else who'd known Steve before the Big Sleep was gone or senile or -  
  
And then Bucky knew. So one night, when most everyone at Stark Tower was asleep or out on a mission or somewhere far away and distracted, Bucky set out. He took the train to Brooklyn and walked the streets, searching, scanning, waiting.  
  
Then he heard it, the hiss of spray paint coming from a can. He turned down an alley and - there.  
  
A tiny girl, barely five feet tall, wearing a pair of ratty jeans and a hoodie with cat ears, was standing in front of the wall, paint cans arrayed at her feet. She was painting a mural of - it took Bucky a moment to realize.   
  
Atlantis. He recognized the spiky skyline from the slew of news stories that had dominated the internet and air waves and the digital billboards all over Times Square.  
  
He also recognized the silhouettes painted below the city - Evan, Sheppard, McKay, Teyla, Ronon, Weir, Carter, Woolsey.  
  
He cleared his throat. “Emma?”  
  
She spun around, knife in hand. Then she paused. “Oh, hey, Jack Frost. What's up?” She sheathed the knife somewhere in her hoodie and turned back to her mural. She was spreading blue ocean beneath the feet of the silhouettes.  
  
“I - you're one of Steve's best friends. He trusts you a lot. Your opinion means a lot to him.”  
  
“You're his boyfriend.” Emma set down one can of paint and picked up another, stepped back and contemplated her work, shaking the paint can all the while.  
  
“I want to be more,” Bucky said, before he could lose his nerve.  
  
Emma spun back around. She pushed her hood back and marched closer to him, leaned up on her toes to peer at him. “You mean you want to marry him?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Emma shrugged and stepped back. “So ask him.” She turned away again.”  
  
Bucky swallowed hard. “I want to, but I - I need your blessing.”  
  
Emma glanced over her shoulder at him, raised her eyebrow. “You do know what century it is, right?”  
  
“I do, but I believe in doing things right, and this is the right way. For me and for Steve.” Bucky drew himself up taller. He’d fought Nazis. There was no reason to be afraid of one little girl and what she’d say, right?  
  
“You think Steve would ask for someone’s blessing before he proposed to you?” Emma spread more blue across the brick wall.  
  
“You know he would.”  
  
Emma smiled. “Yeah, he would. Would you leave Steve hanging forever, if I said no?”  
  
“Well, no, but -”  
  
“Then what does my blessing matter?”  
  
Bucky wet his lips. “Marrying Steve isn’t just marrying Steve, it means committing to him and supporting the relationships that are important to him, and if I had to wait a bit, work on things, I’d be willing to do that.”  
  
Emma paused in her painting again, trundled across the alley to peer at him once more. She beckoned, and Bucky leaned in, nervous. She peered into his eyes, and it was disconcerting, such intense scrutiny so close, but whatever Emma was searching for, she found.   
  
“Go, make Steve happy, with all my blessings.” She pressed a kiss to Bucky’s cheek.  
  
He was startled by the brief warmth of her lips, but then he couldn’t help himself. He smiled. Emma turned and sauntered back to her mural.

She said, over her shoulder, “I want an invitation to the wedding, just so you know.”  
  
“Of course,” Bucky said. “You might even be Steve’s Maid of Honor.”  
  
“I’d rather be Best Man.”  
  
And Bucky couldn’t help it, he laughed. “That can definitely be arranged.”  
  
“Go,” Emma said, with a dismissive flick of her wrist. “Propose. Make it terribly romantic. Sweep him off his feet.”  
  
“You know I will.”  
  
“That I do.”

*

  
  
Steve looked at the entirety of the Avengers - minus Bucky - arrayed in the loft at Stark Tower and was terrified. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that all of them were sitting there staring at him, he realized the enormity of what he was doing.  
  
He loved Bucky. He wanted to marry Bucky. That was totally legal now. Steve was still old-fashioned enough that he wanted to be married, that he wanted to have a wedding and get their own house and see about maybe doing something with their last names. Emma had helped him work around a lot of his more harmful old-fashioned mindsets, but he didn’t want a blessing on his proposal to Bucky because he thought Bucky was chattel and couldn’t make the decision himself. He just - he wanted to know that when he and Bucky embarked on this new adventure, they’d have the support of the people who loved them most.  
  
Except Steve’s family was dead, and Bucky’s family was dead, and who could Steve ask?  
  
Well, the Avengers.  
  
“Why are we here?” Natasha asked.  
  
“You have to make it fast,” Tony said, “because soon I have to be - where, Pepper?”  
  
Pepper sighed. “In an hour you have a meeting with the Board of Directors.”  
  
“This is an all-Avengers thing, right?” Wanda asked. “Shouldn’t Bucky be here?”  
  
“If it’s an all-Avengers thing,” Laura said, “should I be here?”  
  
“You’re one of us, just like Pepper is.” Clint leaned over and gave her a kiss.  
  
Sam sighed. “Everybody, give Steve a moment.” He smiled patiently. “Obviously whatever this is has caused you a lot of anxiety. Take a few deep breaths and -”  
  
“I want to ask Bucky to marry me and I need your blessing.” The words came spilling out before Steve could stop them.  
  
Peter raised his hand. “I’m not legally old enough to get married. Do I really get a say in this?”  
  
“Where is your bride-price?” Thor asked.  
  
Darcy smacked him on the arm. “Bucky’s not a bride!”  
  
Jane smiled. “That’s very sweet, Steve. I totally give you my blessing.”  
  
Vision said, “I believe Thor, as the only god among us, is the only one qualified to dispense any blessings.”  
  
Steve buried his face in his hands. “Guys, please -”  
  
“I think it’s a wonderful idea, Steve.” Pepper rose up and crossed the den, drew Steve into a hug. “Do you need help planning the wedding?”  
  
Darcy bounced off of the couch. “Ooh! Let me pick your tuxes!”  
  
Steve peered through his fingers at her. “Is that a yes?”  
  
“Obviously.” Darcy beamed at him.  
  
“I’m pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say I hope you and Bucky are happy,” Sam said.  
  
“Thank you,” Steve said, relief settling into his limbs.  
  
The elevator door slid open. “Hey, Steve,” Bucky said. He drew up short when he saw everyone gathered in the den.  
  
“Hey, Buck. Perfect timing. I have a question for you.”  
  
Bucky smiled. “I have one for you too.”


End file.
